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  1. TortyDxb

    Aldabra squiggly lines on shell- shell rot?

    @ALDABRAMAN @Yvonne G @Tom hope you all are doing well! I need a bit of expert input Re the photos, and I also thought putting these photos up might be helpful for future reference (as they contrast very well I feel). Could you take a look and give your opinion- whenever is convenient of...
  2. TortyDxb

    Rant about the design of a tortoise

    My brother and I were watching the two baby Aldabras, in my care, work their way around a large garden, today, and we got to chatting about their (terrible) design. How tortoises have survived extinction en masse is beyond me. Not only can they be outpaced by nearly every possible predator...
  3. TortyDxb

    A tortoise pen within a large garden

    So I'm pushing the two little bundles of joy to graduate to a 12,000 Ft2 garden- during the day at least. A little less space actually b/c there is a house on the plot too. But I think it is too big a space for them. It is secure (concrete walls around the perimiter) but finding food, and...
  4. TortyDxb

    Character differences between Aldabras

    I am soooooooo glad I am 'looking after' two young Aldabras, not one. Their characters are really very different and I wouldn't know that with just one. On the surface both are skittish by nature, so if you only have one Aldabra, and are reading this, you will probably agree with most of the...
  5. TortyDxb

    Substrate bugs

    I see tiny weeny bugs / insects zooming about the two aldabras in their closed chamber at night. I’ve read up here and decided it’s nothing I worry about. Tonight I saw they were in quite large number (nearly transparent and tiny), and they grouped a bit on one of the babies heads. She’s gone...
  6. TortyDxb

    Typical day/activity level of an Aldabra juvenile.

    I thought it might be worth noting what we see an Aldabra choose to do in a day. It may help those who are raising them in artificial environments to understand what they choose when given the great outdoors.
  7. TortyDxb

    Guess age of a 20 inch Aldabra & what growth to expect over next 10 years?

    What would you guess the age to be of a 20 inch Aldabra in it's home turf i.e. Seychelles/ Mauritius (not USA grown)? Also what would you expect 20 inches to grow into over the next decade? Any idea of growth rate at this point? Thanks - I'm trying to comprehend a scenario that's all :)
  8. TortyDxb

    Pop goes the Humidity

    I'm just curious b/c I lack the science. I have a closed chamber enclosure in a small washroom for the nights. Substrate is coconut coir and humidity sits at 70 ish percent with a temp of 70 ish degrees. This is ok I believe. In the room are some open pans full of water, the substrate is kept...
  9. TortyDxb

    Is this flower safe, I can’t ID it? For a sulcata

    Having heard of losses, and having been extremely complacent about flowers and foods I’m doing a spring clean Can anyone help me on this one please?
  10. TortyDxb

    What human food will rapidly lead to death in a tortoise?

    Is there anything that could cause a tortoise to die in 48 hours? Do tortoises have common sense, or do they eat sweet wrappers, plastics etc. Please share poisoning stories or ingestion related deaths.
  11. TortyDxb

    I ran a quick insta Aldabra account to gauge interest in the tortoises

    I come from a net background and so had a quick insta account set up to try to understand what I had in terms of these AMAZING Aldabra torts. They came to me in an odd kind of way, and, for a while I didn't even know they were Aldabras. Honestly, if you are thinking about going for it and have...
  12. TortyDxb

    Aldabra poo stinks & they do not, exactly, smell of roses themselves.

    Is this the same with all tortoises? The smell of their poop is quite memorable and unique.... and I think they have an odour themselves. Diet mostly hibiscus, hydrated well, no fruits or Mazuri- weeds. Still love em, but .....
  13. TortyDxb

    Egyption at London Zoo- today (just for fun)

    Wasn't doing very much, actually did not move- sorry! Very very smooth shell ...
  14. TortyDxb

    Black spotted turtle - London zoo today (just for fun!)

    Thought this little guy was a real looker!
  15. TortyDxb

    3 Galapagos at London zoo today

    Popped in to see the Galapagos and their set up. Slight pyramiding and not vast amounts of space but looked healthy, and space may be due to winter. I’d say they have around 300 ft2. Maybe 400ft2. Internal. They are big and beautiful why do I love tortoises??? It’s not normal.
  16. TortyDxb

    Beauty from within? A pyramiding query

    We know that starting a tortoise's life in an 80%+ humid environment, re @Tom 's findings, virtually guarantees smooth growth. That would be a constant environment where a tortoise remains relatively damp (for want of a better word) on the outside. But what about a tortoise kept in a dry...
  17. TortyDxb

    Don't you think it's weird? We can put a man on the moon, but we can't sex a young Aldabra.

    I mean, there must be some physical signs .... some behavioural, some chemical indicators... I can't believe we haven't got a full light on this, and many other things (like the deep ocean), yet we are out there in space.
  18. TortyDxb

    Should I do anything, tortoise ate a toxic leaf?

    one of the new 4 month olds in our care ate an entire leaf (more than the size of her) of a miniature eggplant plant. Not the fruit. The leaf looks like fig leaves and it didn’t occur to me to check ... She’s basically finished and gone off for a sleep, shall I do anything or just let it...
  19. TortyDxb

    Human interaction, taming a newbie, or leave well alone?

    In contrast to Sulcata's (as mentioned here a few times) the young Aldabras in our care are much more timid. Once we approach them for a bath, or a move to pastures new, you hear the rush of air as their heads pop into their shells. Once placing them down anywhere, they scurry as fast as...
  20. TortyDxb

    Dubai ( Uae) versus Florida - both good Aldabra climates?

    I'm fussing about with heat lamps at night, a warm/wet night-time enclosure and worrying about humidity- all to stop the dreaded pyramiding.... I will feel like a failure... But another keeper in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) has said that his hatchling Aldabras are fine outside and not to...
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